Henry Ford Wearing Soybean Suit on His 78th Birthday, July 30, 1941

Summary

In the 1930s, Henry Ford's ambition to combine agriculture with industry resulted in large-scale soybean experimentation. Ford planted thousands of acres to the legume, which chemists used to create useful products including paints and plastics. He even commissioned a suit made with soybean protein fibers, which he modeled for this photograph taken on July 30, 1941 -- Ford's 78th birthday.

In the 1930s, Henry Ford's ambition to combine agriculture with industry resulted in large-scale soybean experimentation. Ford planted thousands of acres to the legume, which chemists used to create useful products including paints and plastics. He even commissioned a suit made with soybean protein fibers, which he modeled for this photograph taken on July 30, 1941 -- Ford's 78th birthday.

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

30 July 1941

 On Exhibit

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1660.P.188.29410

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 3.5 in

Width: 4.5 in

Soybean Lab Agricultural Gallery

Details

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